Human Impact Project

Immigration attorneys report that ICE arrests at required check-in appointments for immigrants seeking legal status have resumed in San Francisco after being paused for approximately six weeks. Since January 2025, check-in frequencies have increased to sometimes every three months. Hundreds of immigrants were arrested at check-ins between January and October 2025 before arrests slowed in December following lawsuits challenging detention conditions, though a federal judge's preliminary injunction in November 2025 did not prevent arrests at check-ins themselves.

ICE agents conducted arrests at immigration courts across the United States this week. The arrests followed a January DHS directive reversing protections for courthouse arrests. President Trump expanded fast-track deportation authority after taking office.

The Trump administration is rapidly expanding border wall construction at roughly three miles per week, with $46.5 billion in funding and $22 billion in construction contracts already issued. The project targets ecologically sensitive areas including Big Bend National Park in Texas, national wildlife refuges, and habitat for 93 threatened and endangered species. Using waivers under the 2005 REAL ID Act, the Department of Homeland Security has exempted the wall construction from the Endangered Species Act, National Environmental Policy Act, Clean Water Act, and other environmental protections, with no environmental impact studies, public comment periods, or legal oversight required.

The Office of Refugee Resettlement, tasked with protecting immigrant children, has assisted in immigration enforcement operations under the Trump administration. Federal agents have conducted dozens of visits across the country targeting unaccompanied minors and their sponsors, using welfare checks as a pretext. Current and former staffers report the agency is assisting in enforcement operations.

The Trump administration is planning to deport undocumented migrants to Libya, a country experiencing armed conflict. Libyan officials denied being in talks with the U.S. about the plan. A federal judge blocked any deportations to Libya or Saudi Arabia without due process, ruling that removals without prior notice would violate existing court orders.

US Customs and Border Protection has rescinded four Biden-era policies regarding detainees, including pregnant women, infants, the elderly, and those with serious medical conditions. The memo, dated May 5 and signed by acting commissioner Pete Flores, eliminated standards for access to water and food for pregnant detainees, privacy for breastfeeding mothers, and stocked diapers and formula in holding facilities. CBP stated the policies were obsolete and misaligned with current enforcement priorities.

The Shasta County Sheriff's Office attempted to enter a 287(g) agreement with ICE in May 2025 that would have given local officers immigration enforcement authority, but the process was paused after an ICE official noted it would violate California's Values Act, which prohibits state law enforcement from assisting federal immigration enforcement. The current status of the pending agreement remains unclear, as Sheriff Mike Johnson has not responded to requests for comment. No California law enforcement agencies are documented as having entered such agreements with ICE.